Investors Deliver Message on Rakuten’s Plan to Buy Viber

By

Bradford Frischkorn

Feb 17, 2014 6:44 am ET

Investors are taking a dim view of Japanese Internet retailer Rakuten Inc.’s plan to pay nearly $1 billion for Viber Media Inc., amid questions about whether it is paying for customers it can’t make money from.

Rakuten shares plunged as much as 13% on heavy trading volume Monday, the first trading day after the company announced the $900 million acquisition of loss-making Viber.